House, Senate panels agree to remove two provisions from intelligence bill

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Source: The Washington Post

Leaders of the House and Senate intelligence committees have reached an unusual bipartisan agreement to remove from the fiscal 2012 intelligence authorization bill two provisions that had drawn a veto threat from the White House.

One provision would have required the Obama administration to give the committees potentially sensitive information, including State Department cables relative to the transfer to other countries of detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Another would have required Senate confirmation of the director of the National Security Agency, which collects electronic intelligence.

Both provisions were added by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence when it approved its version of the authorization bill on Aug. 1. Because these provisions were included in a draft bill scheduled to be taken up by the House on Friday, the White House spelled out its objections in a memo sent to the House Rules Committee on Wednesday.

In it the administration said the disclosure of “sensitive diplomatic discussions and negotiations, including commitments made by foreign governments relating to the handling of transferred detainees,” would have “a significant adverse impact” on any such future discussions.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/house-senate-panels-agree-to-remove-two-provisions-from-intelligence-bill/2011/09/08/gIQAP1HEDK_story.html